Mending the demented
by Anlora
Summary: Post Sozin's Comet. Azula is broken upon her defeat but not everyone sees her as a lunatic. Sokka sees through the hurt and tries to fix her and teach her to love, and ends up learning a few things himself.
1. Chapter 1

Azula's sobbing echoed through the darkened room. She trashed around on her small bed and punched the stone wall over and over again until the blood from her knuckles trickled down her arm and stained her patient gown. It felt nice, the warm blood, it reminded her of firebending. At the thought she rolled up on the covers clutching her pillow, smudging it in the process.

_Pathetic. _That is the only thing on Azula's mind, her own pathetic failure, to her nation, her father and most importantly, herself. She poured her life into fulfilling her father's plans, and now that they were destroyed whatever was left of her was huddled on a cot in a lonely cell somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. It's not like it mattered anymore anyway. When the Avatar took her bending away, he took away her fire, that passion and motivation that powered her, her whole personality. It had just been too much and she completely fell apart.

Everyone had abandoned her, even her supposed friends. When Mai and Ty Lee left they knocked down the strong columns that kept Azula's head high. She really had cared for those two. The three of them had each other's backs since childhood. She had even set up Mai and her brother together, and yet she was the first to betray her. Ty Lee was always a bit of a pushover but Azula never even considered that she would double cross her. She thought that Ty Lee had truly cared for her, but she had made her feelings clear when she chose Mai over her.

Everybody seemed to do that constantly, pick anyone and anything over Azula. Deadly, dangerous and deranged Azula. That's all anyone ever saw in her. A heartless killing machine. And she had relished it, absorbed others fears as strength. Until fear stopped working. Her father had taught her that fear was the only way, that trust was for fools. She had tried to live by those words, but there was always a little bit a trust that creeped inside her. Mai and Ty Lee, for example, had planted a little seed of trust inside Azula, keeping her human. But now that their trust had been ripped away it left Azula cracked and damaged for good.

"This is your fault mother" She had taken to talking out loud to her dead mother. She stood from her bed and walked, legs trembling, towards the sink. Her hands were holding on firmly onto the sides of the basin as if it were the only thing keeping her alive.

"Azula dear, stop hurting yourself. It pains me to see you so unhappy." Azula faced the mirror and saw her mother with worried look on her face. Ursa had taken to answering her daughter's outcries and showed up often for a visit on most mirrors and other reflective surfaces.

"Since when do you care? All you ever saw was poor Zuzu being bullied by his monstrous little sister. Why don't you go pay him a visit? I bet he's dying to see his precious mommy" She was looking intently into her mother's, probably looking like a deranged lunatic, trying to channel all her resentment towards a cracked mirror.

"I've always cared Azula. And I was only trying to protect Zuko, but he's not the one who needs my help now."

"So that's what it takes for some attention from my mother? Being completely helpless and crazed? I guess you're not as loving and caring as everyone thought you were. In the end you were just like the rest of us, biased and ruthless. In cahoots with father to kill the Fire Lord."

"I did what I did because I love Zuko and he was in danger. And I would do anything, even scheming with Ozai, to save the people I love." At the sound of that last word Azula let out a crazed laugh.

"LOVE? Please mother, don't go off on some speech about how love will save everyone. I have gotten rather old for fairy tales, don't you think?" Ursa sighed heavily with a guilty look on her face.

"You're a very bright girl Azula, but you were rather cold and detached and I can only blame myself. It's true, with my trying to protect Zuko I might have neglected you. But I'm trying to make up for it now, if you will let me."

"This may have slipped from your attention but you're not even real. You could be dead for all anyone knows or hiding with the Air Nomads."

"I'm as real as you want me to be Azula. But that doesn't change the fact that I have come here to help you in any way that I can. I just need you to open your heart and trust. It doesn't even have to be me, anyone that will be willing to love and trust you back"

"That's the thing isn't it? No one could love someone like me, evil and cruel. You're just wasting your time."

"I love you Azula, I hope you are aware of that. I might have seemed like I didn't show it but I do, very much."

"NO. STOP LYING TO ME. YOU DON'T LOVE ME AND I DON'T LOVE YOU. I DON'T NEED HELP FROM YOU OR ANYONE ELSE. GO AWAY." She was screaming at the top of her lungs with so much hatred and anger that her mother's image dissolved only after shedding quiet tears, leaving her only daughter in the murky cell.

She started crying again and began pounding the mirror in front of her. The broken glass cut even deeper into her already wounded hands but that didn't stop her. She was in so much pain from her failure and abandonment that a bit of physical pain was insignificant. Her screams echoed around her small cell and out towards the hallway of the empty cell block. She was the only one kept down there, too hazardous to keep around other prisoners. She had to admit, it had its advantages. The emptiness in the prison allowed her to break down, shout and cry in complete privacy. The rumors of the Fire Nation princess gone mad were bad enough, she didn't need to be giving people more evidence to back it up.

So she just continued bawling and hitting everything in sight. Soon enough almost everything was covered in blood, including herself. She wasn't worried of dying though. In the morning when they served her mean, the guard would see the damage done and call up a doctor that would patch her up in no time. That was probably the worst part of her imprisonment, there was absolutely no escaping it. The Avatar refused to take away a life, and to stand by and watch Azula take away hers would be like condoning a kill in his eyes. So she was trapped in this miserable world until death decided it was her time.

Therefore she continued lashing out at the room until she began to feel dizzy and weak. Thoughts of her mother, father, brother, Mai and Ty Lee swarmed around in her fuzzy head as she finally stopped to catch her breath, leaning on one of the walls to stop herself from falling. Gone. They're all gone. And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. There was even no point in escaping. So she just leaned there, the darkness of her life finally sinking in and pushing her down.

"Finally" Azula whispers as she collapses to the floor next to the toilet. She tucks her legs to her chest and hugs them firmly, shutting everything off as she falls into the dizzy haze. "Alone"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I'm not very satisfied with this chapter and it was a bit frustrating to write but here it is! Have mercy on me. 

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><p>Sokka could do nothing but pace back and forth in the hall in front of the conference room in the Earth King's palace. What could be taking them so long? He was supposed to meet Aang there nearly an hour ago to go grocery shopping, Aang is really picky about the vegetables he likes and Katara didn't trust Sokka alone with a bag full of money and an open market. He finally decided to sit down on one of the cushioned benches when the ornamented door opened and Zuko appeared. He was fully dressed in his Fire Lord attire and looked irritated.<p>

"Sokka!" He called him over. "Come in here, we need your help." And with that he disappeared back into the room. Sokka hesitated for half a second and then followed Zuko, more out of curiosity than anything else. He couldn't fathom what the Earth King, Fire Lord and Avatar would need his help for. Surely they didn't need his advice to fix the world up, they were very capable of doing that themselves and the last thing they needed was a screw up like him to launch them into another war.

Inside the room Sokka could see various diplomats and members of the White Lotus surrounding a long bronze table headed by King Kuei and Aang. He could easily sense the tension in the room, everyone seemed angry and restless, but why? Aang looked up from the scroll he was reading and his face lit up at the sight of his friend. Lately Aang has been performing duties way beyond his years and they took a toll on him, but the fun and playful kid he and his sister found in the iceberg was still in him.

"So, um, Zuko said you guys needed my help for something Aang." Sokka began feeling a bit nervous of all the eyes staring at him. He continued walking towards his friend on the other side of the room and stood between him and Zuko. Aang gave him a comforting look. "Well yes Sokka, we were just discussing what we should do about the fire nation prisoners."

Sokka was a bit confused at this. "Aren't they locked up in the Fire Nation prison? I thought those trials had already passed."

"Well we're talking about, um… special prisoners." Sokka was even more puzzled by Aang's choice of words.

"The Avatar is referring to my father and my sister." Zuko spoke up.

"Ah… I see. Didn't you take away their bending Aang?" Sokka inquired.

"Yes, he did." A member of the White Lotus, old with a long white beard and greenish eyes had spoken. "Ozai is in his rightful place in a cell in the Fire Nation and Azula is kept in solitary confinement here in the Earth Kingdom, but Fire Lord Zuko has some concerns."

"She needs help!" Zuko shouted. "Someone needs to go help her!"

"Now now Zuko, calm down." Iroh had spoken. "My nephew is right. Azula may be treacherous but we forget that she is only a young girl. She needs to heal from her disturbed experiences."

"So what exactly is the problem?" Sokka asked.

"No one wants to do it, help her." Zuko answered. "I can't do it because my presence will probably set her off, and I'm busy enough as it is."

"Everyone is too afraid or will trigger her to do it." Aang said. "So Zuko came up with something."

"Will you do it Sokka?" Sokka's head began to spin. Zuko was asking him to help a crazed and dangerous woman that tried to kill him and his friends on several occasions. What on earth is he thinking? Even if he did agree, how will he even talk to her without becoming mentally scarred himself? He never thought himself capable of much and for someone to suggest that he be some sort of therapist is just unthinkable. Sure he had tried to help Aang when he was having his nightmares but that was mostly for fun and a chance to use his Wang Fire beard.

"I don't know guys..." Sokka rubbed the back of his neck while avoiding everyone's piercing looks.

But Zuko refused to give up. "Please Sokka, what if it were Katara in that cell, crazed and alone? Imagine your sister without her bending, how would you feel?"

Sokka had to stop and consider it. He was a big brother too and he would do anything to help Katara. He pictured his little sister trapped somewhere in the Fire Nation, without her bending, losing her mind. Her bending was a part of her, ever since we discovered she could bend it has been a fundamental part of her. To imagine her broken and alone was just too much. He caught himself before bursting into tears and faced the room.

"When you put it that way, it's kinda hard to refuse, I'll do it." Sokka had never seen Zuko look so grateful in his life. For half a second he thought he might even try to hug him, but this is Zuko. "Thanks Buddy. This means the world to me."

"Don't mention it...please. Now if you will excuse me I have some shopping to attend to."Sokka turned to leave and walked as hurriedly as possible towards the door without looking like a complete coward when Aang's voice stopped him. "Don't take too long Sokka, you should go see Azula this afternoon if possible."

"Yeah," the White Lotus member spoke up again. "We could hear the screams from our quarters, and they weren't pretty. You've got your work cut out for you." Zuko looked like he could pounce on the man if Iroh hadn't motioned him not to. Sokka saw the faint chuckle on the old man's lips and had to restrain himself from attacking him too. He walked towards Zuko, put his hands firmly on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm going to fix your sister, I promise." He walked away before Zuko could answer and left the conference room as quickly as he could. Everything was just too overwhelming. He agreed to what was probably a death wish. Azula is completely nuts! The only reason he agreed is because Zuko asked him and he would probably do the same for him. But what exactly did he plan to do once he was face to face with her? Maybe he could make her laugh with some meat or sarcastic jokes. Or they could talk about shopping, girls liked shopping. Several more useless ideas swarmed around in his brain by the time he arrived at the market until he decided to give up and play it by ear. Really what could be the worst that can happen?


	3. Chapter 3

_CLANK CLANK CLANK. _The sound of metal being tapped repeatedly woke up Azula much too early for her liking. Her hands were still in incredible pain and were covered in dry blood. She should wake up to get fed and a healer should be arriving soon to patch her up. That could wait a couple of minutes though, it's not like she was going anywhere any time soon. She tried to make herself as comfortable as possible on the stone floor when she heard it, it wasn't the tedious grunting of her usual guard with the slime they try to pass off as breakfast, no, she had heard this voice before.

"Um-hi Azula." The water tribe boy broke through her thoughts and made her open her eyes. She slowly turned to face him and let out a small cry of pain as she shifted her torso. Sleeping on the floor had made her sore and the wall punching from the previous night didn't help either.

"You ok there?" He sounded sincere as he said this and when Azula looked into his blue eyes she was sure he was. How curious it was to see him actually worried about someone who had tried to kill him and his friends. She wasn't sure if it was out of weakness and fear or just plain stupidity. To trust someone like her…well the first time is understandable, what he was doing now was completely inconceivable. It would have been incredibly stupid too, if it weren't for her current condition. The condition his friends had put her in.

"Just fantastic peasant." The words came out cold and heartless. She had forbidden herself from showing weakness or need towards anyone. Her pride might have suffered some serious injuries but it was still there willing her forward. He was slightly taken aback at this but he stayed persistent.

"I'll take that as a maybe then." As he said the words he dropped himself on the hard floor and leaned against the wall facing Azula's cell. His eyes surveyed her critically from top to bottom and bottom to top, as if searching for something. She began to feel slightly amused at this.

"Lost your way tribesman?" It was about time she had a little fun. "Or do you usually stroll around in private cell blocks staring blankly at random prisoners?"

"Oh yeah, I get a kick out of watching people I don't know in pain and suffering." The concern that used to be in his eyes was replaced with something more dangerous. "That's probably something we have in common."

Of course. It was foolish of her to think he seemed remotely understanding. She must remember not to underestimate this one, he might seem like the annoying guy in the background, but his strategies had helped foil her plans. And now he was starting to test her patience.

"What do you want?" She inquired bluntly. Even if there was absolutely nothing else to occupy her time, she didn't like wasting it on irritating and condescending visitors.

He shrugged off the question. "You should get yourself cleaned up."

"What a fine suggestion, I'll just grab the silk towel next to my imperial bed and wipe these little stains away." Azula toyed.

"You know for someone who's insane and locked up you can be a bit sassy."

This suggestion immersed Azula en deep thought. She had been extra sarcastic ever since her arrival there. She didn't have many chances to interact with people so she took every chance possible to use the snippy remarks that came to her mind during the endless hours spent lying on her bed.

"So what's the chef's special today? Or are you too high positioned now to bring a lowly prisoner her breakfast?"

He shoved his hand in the bag he was carrying, his face still unreadable, and pulled out a package slightly bigger than the palm of his hand. He stood from his spot, walked towards the gate and shoved the mysterious item towards her. "More like lunch. I made it myself, extra meat if you don't mind."

She remained still staring blankly at the sandwich, slightly suspicious. Surely this was some plot of some group against the Avatar's means that wanted her dead. He was from the water tribe after all, a pack of wild savages. But she was sure little innocent Aang wouldn't approve of his friend disposing of her. So she just stayed unmoving in her uncomfortable spot on the floor, her eyes trying to read the tribesman expression. After about a minute he sighed and placed it carefully on the floor.

"I'm not here to hurt you Azula."

It was too much, her extremely short temper peaked. She rose with surprising speed and lunged towards the metal bars separating them, firmly gripping the tubes. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?" she shouted to his face, only inches away from hers. He put his hands on hers and looked her dead in the eye. "To help."

A wave of flashbacks from her mother's visit the previous night suddenly drowned her. Why did everyone keep saying that they want to help her? They probably just want to turn her into something they can use to their benefit. No one cares about her enough to genuinely help. It's all a ruse to keep her under control in the undoubtedly long and painful life ahead of her. At the age of fourteen she was already a convicted criminal so her time behind bars would be more extensive than any other outlaws. Unless, of course, they had decided to end her and get it over with. It was plausible but extremely improbable in Azula's opinion. That still wasn't a good enough reason for her to trust the boy in front of her or the sandwich he offered.

She pulled her hands away from the gate and balled her hands into clenched fists. "I believe you've overstayed your welcome, it's time for you to go." She turned on her heel and began to walk in the direction of the sink before a warm hand came in contact with her shoulder. "I won't hurt you." It was barely a whisper but it was clear enough to provoke one of her tantrums.

"How _dare_ you touch me?" Azula exclaimed shoving off aggressively his gesture. "Even if I am incarcerated here I'm still the princess of the Fire Nation. Who do you think you are, coming down here acting concerned? You can't fool me! Surely my mother sent you. I should have known, she was rambling on about helping me and other nonsense last night. Well I don't need your help, so you can just go!" Her breathing was speeding up and she was losing control fast. She quickly stepped in front of the stone basin and dipped her soiled hands in the browning water. It soothed her ever so slightly, but that wouldn't last long. Her visitor seemed completely perplexed at her outburst.

"Azula, your mother has been missing for years; she couldn't possibly have come here to talk to you." His voice sounded more scared than worried.

The cracking dam that held Azula's emotions back completely burst at this comment. "SHUT UP. You don't KNOW anything! Just shut up and GO AWAY!" With the last words she picked up one of the shards of mirror from the previous night and hurled it towards the shocked tribesman in the dirt corridor in front of her cell. But she didn't see how he fared with the glass because she collapsed on the floor again crying quietly.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Sokka about half a second to dodge the very sharp and pointy mirror that was heading straight towards his face. He stepped to the right as he drew his boomerang from its holster at his back and deflected it to the other side. He picked up the glass from the floor and spun around facing the princess, ready to tell her off for being a psycho. But what he saw in front of him was not the crazy manipulative villain he had faced before during the war, but a young girl crying at the mention of her possibly dead mother. Sokka finally saw what Zuko had been trying to describe to him and he couldn't help but imagine Katara like that. It was so much worse than he had pictured it and almost brought him to tears.

He quickly regained his composure and took a step closer to her. He heard a faint "Go" in between her sniffles. Sokka was never good at dealing with crying girls so he hesitated for a minute before turning around and walking away quiet and somber. After a few long strides he heard a sound of clanging metal. He turned his head to see Azula reaching out towards the sandwich he left for her. She opened it up and began nibbling at it, silent tears moistening it.

A sense of accomplishment should have filled him but rage was the only thing filling his body. How could they let her starve and hurt herself! Everyone deserves at least a decent meal. He made it a priority to go talk to Zuko and Aang about the White Lotus' neglect and abusive behavior towards its captives. How cowardly and disgusting of them to let a teenage girl suffer and live under those conditions, no matter how messed up she was.

When he finally exited the prison he became aware of a sharp pain in his palm. He opened it to find the piece of mirror Azula had directed at him cutting through his skin. He had squeezed it so tightly in his anger that he had begun to bleed.

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><p>"Katara can we talk?" Sokka inquired upon his arrival at the house they all shared. She was in the kitchen making some tea. "Sure bro." She answered as she sat down at the kitchen table. He took a seat next to her nervously playing with his hands. What he was about to tell her would probably make her really really mad. He braced himself to be slapped by a water tentacle and got his thoughts out as quickly as possible.<p>

"TodayIvisitedAzula." Once he said it he held up his hands in front of his face for protection. "Please don't kill me."

Katara remained quiet, an unreadable expression painted on her face. Sokka was just grateful he hadn't gotten any water related injuries she would have to later heal herself. He still flinched slightly when Katara set down her cup on the table.

"I suppose you're going to give me a lengthy explanation justifying it." The words might have been reassuring if she didn't have a deadly look in her eyes.

"Please hear me out before you go around making assumptions." He took a deep breath and began once Katara let out a little huff of disapproval. "Remember when you last saw her, at the Agni Kai she had with Zuko? Well she wasn't very stable. And after you tied-erm, she got arrested, it only got worse. They have her locked up in a dirty cell serving her inedible meals. And she's completely lost it. She's so broken and hurt; it was actually painful to watch."

"Well she deserves it." Katara said curtly. She stood and took her tea cup to the sink. Sokka followed her. "Katara please, you have to think about this."

"I don't have to _do_ anything! And especially not anything to help that deranged psycho!" She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "And you're crazy too for going down there!"

"Look Katara stop. I went down there because Zuko asked me. She really needs he-"

Katara cut him short. "Zuko asked you to _what? _Why I should give him a piece of my mind. He knows better than to send a rabbit to the fox's cage."

He shook off the slightly offensive comment off and stayed firm. Sokka was getting very impatient with his sister. He stood in between her and the front door, preventing her to viciously harm the fire lord. "Katara STOP. Please_ listen. _Zuko is just worried for his sister, his _little_ sister. Remember she's the same age as you. She lost her friends, her bending, and even both her parents. You and I should know of all people how that feels. And imagine if someone took away your bending, how that would affect you.

That got her to stop in her tracks. An offended look crossed her face followed by horror and fear. He thought he had finally gotten through to her until she spoke. "So now you're comparing me to her? I'm not an evil monster and she is. No matter what you tell me about how broken and hurt she is won't change the fact that she tried to kill us and the rest of the world. She got what was coming to her and we should let it be."

She pushed past him and started walking towards her room mumbling unintelligible insults under her breath. Sokka panicked and resorted to the only thing that could change his sister's mind.

"Aang thought it was a good idea too." Her hand froze on the doorknob to her room. On cue the front door creaked open and the cheery airbender walked in. Sokka's eyes widened in terror and fear for his friends' life. He tried to signal him to leave the house waving his hands around but Aang mistook this as some sort of invitation to come in faster.

"Hey Sokka! Have you seen Katara? I found this really neat bracelet down at the market today and I thought she would really like it." He left his glider by the front door and walked into the living room where Sokka stood. Katara was almost charging towards them with a lethal look in her eyes. Aang was confused and Sokka worried. Instead of yelling or arguing with them she walked past them and out the door waterbending the pond in front of the house and throwing icicles at the ground furiously.

"What's wrong with Katara?" Aang inquired.

"I told her about Azula." He replied simply and walked towards the back yard as the Avatar rushed out the door to find his girlfriend. With a heavy sigh Sokka slumped down on a stone bench his elbows on his knees and face buried in his hands. Everything was falling apart just after they started piecing the world back together and it drove him crazy. He expected to have some time of normalcy to recover from running all over the world defeating evil overlords and battling assassins back and forth. Now he was caught in the middle of another crazy mess. The things he does to help out his friend, he deserves a medal or something. But amidst all the craziness there was something about Azula that deeply intrigued him. Like an intricate jagged puzzle waiting to be pieced back together by the right person who put in the time and effort. Sokka really liked puzzles and fixing things and this opportunity was too good to pass up.

He shifted his position so he was lying on his back facing the darkening sky. His mind wandered to memories of Yue and he silently asked her for help and a shield to protect his face from Azula's ammo, he's going to need both if he was going back there tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

The small package still felt warm in her icy hands. She hadn't opened it yet, scared of what would happen. Not so much of poison but of accepting such a gift from a tribal savage. It was already the next morning when she finally opened it and found inside a slightly squished sandwich. It had some sort of meat unfamiliar to her and an odd smelling cheese between two slices of very soft bread. It wasn't the royal delicacies she got served at the palace but much better than the slime they served her in that awful cell.

She nibbled away at the small sandwich while thinking of her visitor. He seemed sincere but the real question was who had sent him. Only very few people knew where she was being held so it must have been someone influential. She couldn't think of anyone who would do that to help her. Her uncle had completely given up on her early on and she betrayed her brother so many times that she was certain he relished the idea of her rotting in jail. Perhaps they were planning some sort of scheme to extract information. But, what do they expect to find out? She hasn't seen her father since the day he left to destroy the Earth Kingdom, abandoning her even though she stood by his side through all of it.

He probably deserved what he got, but she can't help but feel guilty for disappointing him. She frequently wondered what he was doing in his own cell miles and miles away from her in the Fire Nation. Surely he got frequent and pathetic visits from Zuko still searching for his honor. Did he ever think of her? He must. Her only daughter and most loyal follower. She always favored her father as he favored her, and after her mother's disappearance she only clung harder onto the only person that didn't treat her like she was a demon child. Looking at herself now she was unsure whether to laugh or cry. She huddled up against the wall and soon lost her train of thought in a combination of bawling and cackling that echoed through the lonely prison.

Hidden under the covers, Azula clutched the half eaten sandwich in her hands, destroying it. The weak bread crumbled all over her just as her dreams had. They were actually her father's dreams, but she felt a strong passion for them too. What mattered was that it hurt, a lot. And Azula was sure she was beyond repair, condemned to live life in a miniscule cell, alone and without her bending forever.

As she curled up tighter into a ball she heard footsteps approaching. Even in her deteriorated mental state she could still to remember small details and was able to recognize the stride of a certain swordsman. She buried herself deeper into the sheets trying to escape questioning looks. Surely he would tell her off for throwing a sharp object right at his face the day before. Or he would keep insisting on "helping" her, whatever that meant.

"Good morning Azula. Sleep well last night?" She was disgusted. He sounded cheerful. And what is the point of asking her that? Was he really that ignorant or did he just like annoying someone so helpless?

"Just _peachy_." The words sounded muffled by the blanket hiding her from her visitor.

"So not so good." She heard him shuffling and sitting down in the same spot as yesterday. "I see you opened my gift. Did you like it? I've been experimenting with different meat-cheese combinations to see which is the less gassy. Did you experience any flatulence after digesting it? I'll take your silence as a no. Perhaps it has a delayed reaction. Or it reacts differently on you than on me. I don't believe the female digestive system varies from that of a man so gender is ruled out. Diet maybe? The food served here isn't exactly first class so that could be a contributing factor. I'll also have to take into account your habits from before. Any physical activities you partook in? Besides Firebending of course, but then again that could affect too. Spitting fireballs from your mouth must create some resistance in your stomach. Tonight I'll go to the library and look into it. Now did you eat any spicy foods fo-"

The rambling just wouldn't stop! She seriously considered throwing something at him again but he would probably lecture her or something. Instead she did what she usually did to numb out everything, hit things. She began punching the mattress under her, clawing through the fabric until the springs cut her fingers. When there was a hole the size of her head on her bed she moved towards the already blood stained wall. She spent most of her mornings and nights this way, trying to break through the barriers put up around her.

Soon enough she was hitting the walls with her knuckles, sobbing viciously for what seemed like the millionth time since she arrived there. She could faintly hear her visitor's protest; trying to make her stop but it was only a dull buzz far, far away from where her mind was.

As she stretched her arm back to get a good swing in the sound of metal being hit reverberated in the room. It made her stop dead in her tracks. The wall was completely made out of stone so what had made that sound? The only source of metal in the cell was the gate itself. Her head turned slowly to find the water tribesman hitting it with his fists much like she had done with the wall.

"What are you doing?" She questioned in a small voice, uncomfortable by the expression on his face. It was feral, dangerous and full of anguish. Azula couldn't help but wonder if that was how she looked like, day after day.

"I promised I would help you, and that means going through what you're going through." _PUNCH_.

"So if you hit the walls." _PUNCH_. "I will too." _PUNCH, PUNCH, PUNCH._ He was already starting to bleed. The deep red liquid flowed slowly down his hands and the railings, staining it to match the walls.

Azula stood slowly and trembling dragged herself towards Sokka. She stood in front of him looking deep into his deep blue eyes.

"Stop." It came out as a whisper but it was enough. He unclenched his fists and reached out towards her hands on the other side of the cell. Azula flinched away with a low whimper.

"I just want to get you cleaned up." He buried his hand inside the bag that hung from his shoulder and took out a bowl, a water pouch and a cloth." She stared blankly at him not knowing what to do with herself as he poured the water on in the bowl and dipped the cloth in it.

"I promise I won't hurt you." He said before reaching out towards her again, gently grabbing hold of her hands and softly wiping away the blood, both new and old. It was a rather soothing experience, to feel human contact again after being confined for so long. Even before that no one had treated her like that since her mother had left, excluding the servants who washed her hair and scrubbed her feet. But this was different. Tender and comforting.

When he finished he washed the cloth again in the bowl and wiped himself clean. When his arms were no longer covered in blood he leaned over to scrub the bars of the gate. Azula quickly took hold of his wrist, stopping him. "Leave it." He stared puzzled at her. "I can't stand these bare walls, I know it's probably psychotic but I prefer the stains." He nodded and packed up his belongings.

"It's understandable." He responded simply. She expected him to throw his bag back on and leave after that but he sat back down shifting around, as if to find a comfortable position. As if that's possible.

"It is?" She was dumbfounded.

"Yes. You're locked up here completely alone. It must drive you mad staring day after day at your unchanging surroundings."

"I must say, I've gotten a bit attached to the stains. Sometimes I think of them as paintings."

"Paintings huh? I'm a bit of an artist if I do say so myself."

"I can tell." This bit of information about her guest was new, but telling by the red portrait he had left on her cage she was sure he would create masterpieces. And then as she saw his bloody mural matched her own she decided she might come to like this tribesman.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry I took forever to update but I had a major writer's block and I've been very lazy and busy. But that is no excuse! I know how awful it is waiting for fics to update and I would like to thank the readers who have stuck with this story. It means the world to me. Also i owe a huge thank you to my reviewers who's reviews encouraged me to keep this going. I always find Sokka chapters more difficult to write and I really hope you will all enjoy this one!**

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><p>He had been talking with Azula for hours now and he must admit he didn't expect this at all. Once you got over the whole crazy I tried to kill you exterior she was quite an interesting girl. Even though their conversations were filled with long silences when her head was somewhere else, they did get to learn more about each other.<p>

"I always wanted to go to school." He commented as she told him about the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.

"It's pathetic really. Being stuck in a classroom with all of those idiotic snobs that only cared what robes they wear. And the teachers were such small minded fools." Azula snorted in reply.

"There must have been some part of it you liked." For a millisecond he considered asking her about Mai and Ty Lee but that would probably backfire. "Some class you found amusing at least."

Sokka stared at her as she once again dozed off somewhere far away. This time he really took in her appearance. The dark circles under her eyes the abnormally pale skin made her look like a sleepless monster. The scars across her face and hands didn't help either. He could see why no one wanted to come here, it must be terrifying to see Azula in this condition, so full of anger, and they would probably think she would trick them into freeing her and releasing havoc into the world once again. But the thing was, they haven't seen her like this. The empty look in her eyes, her trembling lips and shaking hands. Zuko had been right; she has slipped away, given into the demons inside her. And they were eating her alive, gruesomely.

"Dancing." The word brought him back from his reverie as Azula curled tighter into herself, pressing her knees against her chest and burying her chin.

"I didn't imagine you as the dancing type." He regretted saying it the moment the sentence left his lips. Azula was digging her long ragged nails into her legs and soon they would begin to bleed. He is such an idiot! He had come here to help here and now he just made things worse. "Azula I'm s-"

She cut him off quickly. "No, I understand. No one thought so either. Ty Lee was usually the one prancing around the classroom and showing off to everybody. Spirits forbid I be good at anything considered fun."

Sokka's eyes widened a bit. She was opening up slowly, not only telling him about her past but stating something like that so calmly. He never thought he'd see the Fire Nation Princess saying she wasn't good at something. The tribesman seized the opportunity to inquire further into Azula's past.

"Did you like it?" She raised her head from her knees at the question, a puzzled expression plastered on her face. "I was good at it" was her answer.

"But did you LIKE it." He repeated, focusing on emphasizing the word. "Did you enjoy dancing?"

"It was meaningless; I had no use for it."

He asked himself how can someone be so filled with anger and hurt at one time and so deprived of emotions and sentiments the other. Her mind was like giant jagged puzzle that ate you if you tried to solve it, but Sokka was determined to piece it back together. He looked her dead in the eye, staring her down.

"Stop that will ya?" She narrowed her eyes at him and tightened the grip on her legs, her nails dangerously gripping at her calves. Sokka sensed she was about to go off on one of her tantrums again. He needed to think of something quick.

"Stop what." She spat out.

Sokka considered calling her out. Telling her that she should stop shutting him and everyone out, to cut the unfazed act and let him in. He was about to, his mouth already open and an accusatory finger up until he met her gaze again. It was one he had never seen before on her. Like an odd combination of defeat and determination. As if the broken parts of her suddenly caught on fire. No, he wasn't going to reprimand her right now. She probably received enough of that from her father for a lifetime. If he was going to help her, he was going to do it right. Whatever that meant.

"Um, sitting there. Get up and show me some moves!" He sighed internally for his quick thinking. Azula however, had somehow managed to crawl to the back wall of the room without his notice. She was always extremely sneaky; some things just don't wear off. Sokka stood up and leaned on the gate bars, arms hanging inside the cell. Disappointment seemed to ooze out of Azula. Something was up and Sokka was going to get to the bottom of it, no matter what.

"Unless of course, you're scared I'll beat you in a dance off with my awesome moves." He accompanied his statement with random moves, his feet stomping around as his arms waved in circles above him. He was sure he looked like a complete fool. But being a complete full had gotten the faintest chuckle out of the mad girl before him. Instead of pointing it out he decided to keep it a little unknown secret between the two of them.

"There's no music." Sokka stopped dancing and considered this.

"A real dancer doesn't need music to get into a rhythm." Sokka countered.

"But you're not a real dancer are you?" The tiniest smirk crossed her lips at her joke. But he wasn't sure if it was an evil smirk or a joking one.

"Ooooh, nice one." Sokka conceded.

Azula stood from her position on the ground and headed towards the center of the cell. She stood with her arms above her head, the back of her hands facing each other, elbows sticking out. Like a statue she stood there for several moments and before Sokka could realize what was happening she was in motion. Her arms gracefully moved down in front of her and to her left as her feet stepped forward delicately. Small steps carried her across the room as her arms flowed naturally with her body.

Sokka stood in awe staring at her dance. It was so much more refined than the tribal dances he saw back home. The way it contrasted with the aggressiveness of her firebending was astounding. At the end of her presentation he applauded enthusiastically.

"That was _amazing_! I never knew you could move like that, so gracefully. Of course I should of expected it from the way you fireben-" His hand flew to his mouth as fast as humanly possible but it wouldn't erase the words from Azula's ears. Now he'd done it. There is no way this could play out well for him. Surely she would begin yelling and hitting things, including him. He had been so careful with his words before, he mentally berated himself for his stupidity. She had actually begun to open up to him and he destroyed all the progress with a single sentence.

In all of his anger towards himself he couldn't bear to face her now. He faced the wall opposite to the gate of her cell and slammed both his fists into it, above his head. He had disappointed everyone. Aang, Zuko and Iroh. But most of all her. He had decided to help her as a favor for a friend at first but now he was fascinated by what went on in that twisted mind of hers. His forehead soon made contact with the stone wall.

"Idiot!"

"_Moron!"_

"_Baboon!"_

Blood began to slowly trail from his forehead down his face. His fists once again made contact with the wall before the unmistakable sound of flesh on metal reverberated across the chamber. He turned around to find Azula's hands gripping the gate tightly. Her eyes were hard and focused solely on him.

"Stop." It was pleading, desperate. "Stop hurting yourself."

He was enraged once again. How dare she tell him to stop doing the very thing she does on a daily basis? His fury carried him to face her. The dark strong hands now accompanied the pale frail ones that were once fueled by blue fire. Their faces were inches away from each other and he was staring her down, a vicious look in his eyes. But her face was entirely opposite. Most of her features displayed a calm demeanor but her eyes gave away her fear. Of what she was afraid of was a completely different matter.

"What is it like?" She breathed the words so quietly that if they weren't so close he never would have heard it. "What is it like, not being able to bend?"

The question threw him off, evaporating any anger left in him. His hands slid down the bars until they covered hers. It was surprising to see her stand her ground, unflinching at the contact. He sighed heavily and lowered his head.

"Azula. It's not the sa-"

"DON'T." She shrieked out. "Don't tell me it's not the same." Her voice lowered considerably. "You think I don't know that? I'm not stupid. Just answer my question."

"You might want to sit down then, this might take a while."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry for any typos or errors, I usually write these around 2 am. Best time for inspiration!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

"I have a bad feeling about this." Zuko mentioned to his uncle. Everyone had arrived and was getting settled around the table. He fidgeted with his tea cup, slipping its contents on the table.

"You must calm down nephew. I'm sure everything will turn out well." Iroh reassured him as he sipped his tea, calmly observing the Earth King enter the room accompanied by the head of the Dai Li. Zuko noticed his uncle narrow his eyes at the sight of the soldier. That didn't help soothe the young Fire Lords' worries. Only when Aang and Hakoda approached him did he start to relax.

The Avatar gave him a comforting smile and the chief patted his back reassuringly as they both took their seats next to him. Everyone was slightly on edge. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the mending of relationships among the four nations, or if you read between the lines, how much money the Fire Nation is going to pay everyone to forgive them for the war. Zuko had already commanded the troops from the colonies to leave and had begun reconstruction on the destroyed cities and villages. Most of his soldiers had been pardoned of war crimes. They were receiving education on equality and given farming jobs in the Fire Nation.

But the true reason behind the meeting had eluded him until Mai had asked him about his sister.

"_What do you think they'll do to her?" Mai inquired. Zuko was working at his desk as barged in unexpectedly. He sighed. This was his fourth interruption today, there had been some crisis in front of the palace and servants were constantly disturbing him. _

"_What are you talking about?" He grumbled_

"_This." She shoved a scroll in his face, the letter he had received about the meeting. _

"_Where did you get that?"_

"_That's not important." Mai replied. _

"_It's nothing to worry about, just another meeting. War reconstruction and such."_

"_Also we are interested in discussing the status and sentences of war prisoners." She read aloud. Zuko just gave her a confused look. _

"_You think that tribal boy is going to magically reform her don't you?" _

"_Sokka is my friend and I really would appreciate it if you used his name."_

"_Look Zuko. I know that you think somehow he's going to fix her so that everyone will forgive and forget. But she caused a lot of damage, to herself and everyone else. They could-_

"Thank you all for coming." King Kuei's welcome brought Zuko back from his memories. The Earth King stood at the head of the table with a serious look on his face, foreign on his features. He had always had a childlike quality about him but today it was nowhere to be found. "Our first order of business is the sentence of the war prisoners, more specifically ex-Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula."

"Well he doesn't beat around the bush does he?" Hakoda murmured next to Zuko.

"I've never seen King Kuei like this, he looks pretty angry." Aang observed.

The table rattled at Aang's comment. "And with good reason!" The Dai Le soldier that entered with the king was standing, viciously glaring at the young Avatar, both hands on the table. Everyone froze at the soldier's outburst. The room was quiet for what seemed like hours until Iroh spoke up.

"Now, now. I think we should all soothe ourselves with some jasmine tea."

"Yes Chon. Settle down and drink your tea. I can handle this." Kuei said. The soldier leaned back into his seat, his eyes never leaving Aang.

"Could we get a move on? It's a long trip back home." The Northern Water Tribe Chief complained.

King Kuei sighed and directed himself towards Zuko. "We might as well get right to it then. Fire Lord Zuko, what is the plan for Ozai and Azula?"

Zuko shifted uncomfortably in his seat before standing up. "They are both in prison, isolated from other prisoners and stripped of their bending. They present no threat to the public in their current condition."

"If I am not mistaken Azula is currently contained in a prison in the Earth Kingdom, correct?" King Kuei questioned.

"Yes. It was best to keep her as far away from my father as possible, to prevent any mishaps." Zuko replied.

"And is it also true that she has regular visits from a young man?"

"Yes, my _trusted_ friend Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe." Zuko almost spat back. "Is there something you are trying to imply, King Kuei?"

"My advisors and I find that this could be a potential threat. We all kno-"

Zuko cut him off. "Ahh your advisors. Falling back into old habits I see."

The King shot him a glare and continued. "I was speaking Fire Lord. As I was saying, Azula has a history of manipulation. Her access to this boy may be proven dangerous and we fear she might use him to escape or worse. Also how can a mere dim and immature 16 year old be qualified to treat a crazy 14 year old?"

Hakoda stood abruptly from his seat and pointed a finger at the king. "That's my son you're talking about. I'll have you know that he had to take care of the tribe at a very young age and is considered a man in my tribe. He fought in the war alongside me and the other solders, leading an attack. He's also good of heart and very intelligent. I will not have you talk about my child in such a disrespectful matter."

Zuko placed his hand on Hakoda's shoulder, much like he had before. "I believe Sokka is completely capable of helping my sister. He sees things differently and is closer to her age. A "professional" as you suggested would seem like an authority figure to Azula placed there to tell her what to do. I know my sister and this is what is best for everyone."

"Are you forgetting how she took control of Ba Sing Se? How she tried to kill you! She is a menace to everyone that comes in contact with her!"

"Then what do you suggest we do to her?" Aang inquired.

"EXECUTION." All eyes landed on Chon. "It's the only way we can prevent her from terrorizing again!"

It was all too much for Zuko. His head started to spin and he had to sit back down. His relationship with Azula was never the best but lately he had come to understand her. Her situation wasn't so different from his. She was too manipulated and bullied by their father, but lacked the love their mother had given Zuko. It wasn't her fault, she was bred from hatred, raised to serve father.

True she did do despicable things. Destroyed villages, took over a major city and tried to kill him and not only his friends, but hers too. But he couldn't imagine her dead. They did have fun moments as little children, playing in the palace gardens. She was his little sister after all; he was supposed to protect her.

He also had done several of the same things she did. He chased the Avatar around the world, just to restore his silly honor. He too took part in the war fighting alongside his father. So the thought of someone wanting to kill her because of some mistakes she did, mistakes he also committed, was unbearable.

"King Kuei, you can't possibly agree with him!" Aang exclaimed, baffled.

"I must say that I do, Avatar Aang." He responded.

"Dear king, I implore you to reconsider this. Azula is but a young girl of 14, you said so yourself." Iroh advised.

"If we treat a 12 year old as our equal and consider his opinions in these council meetings then we can very well execute a 14 year old." Chon reasoned.

"You can't do that. She's a citizen of the Fire Nation and only the Fire Lord is allowed to pass judgment on his citizens." Hakoda expressed.

"But isn't she in an Earth Kingdom Prison?" The Norther Water Tribe Chief asked.

The room fell quiet as everyone realized where this was heading.

"Yes, she is. And under my jurisdiction I order her execution." The king stated.

Zuko looked at his uncle, Aang and Hakoda. They all had defeated faces. But he couldn't help feeling that it was all his fault. It was his job to take care and protect Azula, and now she was going to die.

"Well if that's all, I'll be leaving." The Northern Water Tribe chief stood and left the room. Everyone promptly followed suit.

Iroh looked glumly at Zuko as they were walking outside. "I'm sorry nephew. Sadly I don't have any words of wisdom in this occasion."

"I'm sorry too uncle, we should have done something, I should have done something."

"Don't beat yourselves up. The King had this all planned from the start." Hakoda said as he caught up to them.

"I think the Dai Li still has some bad seeds, King Kuei isn't one to go around killing teenage girls." Aang added. He abruptly stopped walking and turned to face the others. "One question though. Who's gonna tell Sokka?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I AM THE WORST WORST WORST. It's been like months since I've updated but between being lazy and my laptop breaking and getting it fixed it's been difficult. It does not matter how slow you go as long as you do not stop.**

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><p>"Bending was like a fairy tale in the Southern Water Tribe. My mother used to tell me stories about great Waterbenders and how they used their skills to defend their people, our people. It was so unreal and more than anything I wanted it to be true, to be magical like the heroes in the stories. I remember throwing snowballs imagining I could control its course." Sokka smiled fondly at the memory. It gave Azula an odd feeling, seeing him smile nostalgically like that. Having something to be nostalgic wasn't something she was familiar with.<p>

Sokka continued his story. "But it was a short lived fantasy. Once we found out Katara was a waterbender, word got out and fire nation ships showed up." His expression got dark and strained, as if he was trying to remember something. "Some fighting, a lot of running. It was all very quick, in the end it was hard to believe it even happened. Mom was gone, Dad wasn't home and Katara was a sobbing mess. I never really blamed her for the fire nation taking mom. Or maybe I did. I always dismissed her bending as nonsensical magic. She didn't have a teacher or anywhere to learn from so it was almost like she was normal like the rest of us." Azula wondered how the peasant girl did it. Should it have been her in that position surely the tribe would have fallen under her dictatorship. Commoner behavior baffled her that way, how they are so complacent with what they have. Maybe this tribesman would help her understand how such weakness is tolerated.

"But things changed soon. We found Aang in the iceberg, saved the world, yada yada, and now Katara is some amazing waterbending master and I'm still here, the guy with the boomerang." He let out a defeated chuckle and laid on the floor staring at the ceiling.

Azula wasn't sure what to do. He could imagine what her backstabbing friends would say. Ty Lee would suggest she start gushing over his modesty and complement his muscles or something. Mai would just call him an idiot. But she wasn't Ty Lee or Mai. She wasn't good at talking with boys or being comforting. She just wasn't wired like that, to do those things, to act _normal_. Sometimes it felt as if she wasn't even human.

_My own mother thought I was a monster. _

That thought had plagued her mind for some time until it had completely consuming her. Well she was tired of that, of not being in control and the feeling of hopelessness that came with it. All the time alone in that cell had only made it worse. Only when he started visiting her did that feeling began to fade. It was such a slow process that she had barely noticed. He was quite an interesting person, with some dark places she couldn't even imagine that hid under that idiotic smile. He challenged her and wasn't afraid. Whoever mistook him for a foolish goofball would be gravely mistaken, for the most part. There was something about Sokka of the Southern Watertribe that allured her. And she very much intended to find out.

Azula decided to take the reins of the conversation. "So you're one of those. Pitying yourself because of your inferiority so others can praise and appreciate you? Quite a sneaky tactic for a water peasant such as yourself." He didn't react to her accusation. She'd expected him to lash out or maybe even agree with her, but he remained completely unfazed. She was about to talk again but he cut her off.

"I know that. I've been told all of these things a million times before. I've accepted who I am and am confident in my abilities. Pandiao helped me realize that while he trained me. But it's not about that. I could never stand a chance in a one on one battle with a bender. If everyone else was hurt and it all came down to me, I'd doom us all. It's not self-pity, it's the truth. And that thought is pretty scary, that I won't be able to protect the ones I care most about." He was still calm, and that greatly upset her. She enjoyed getting under people's skin. She needs to see him lose control or break down or react in some way, that way she wouldn't look so disturbed in comparison.

"So is that why you dated her, that Suki girl? Because she doesn't bend like you? Because she's weak?" As soon as the last word left her mouth a slicing sound rippled the air and faced herself with a boomerang at her neck. He leveled his face with hers a breath away. "Suki is one of the strongest people I know, insult her again and I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Well this feels familiar doesn't it? Old habits die hard I guess." She teased. "But there's something different in your eyes." His expression hardened but his arm didn't waver. Azula had struck a nerve, much like she had on the day of the invasion. He was more calculating, trying to mask his emotions, but she could read him well. He was doing what she had done her whole life. She had faced that look countless times in the mirror.

She decide to find out if she was right, ignoring the sharp object still slightly pressing her neck.

"She left you didn't she?" Their closeness made it uncomfortable to breathe but neither of them faltered.

"After everything she was needed back at Kyoshi Island to help train the new warriors, Ty Lee specifically. And I needed to stay with Aang to help him with the Harmony Restoration Movement and soon I'll have to take over the Southern Water Tribe. Even if I manage to take Appa back and forth we would be apart for too much time, it wasn't practical."

"So I'm guessing it was her idea." He stayed silent. "I must say it's admirable her putting her duties first."

"It was more of a mutual thing." She inched even closer to him but he didn't step back. "It was better to cut things off early before they got messy and we ended up hating each other."

That warm feeling she had felt before was creeping its way back in. Something about Sokka made her feel that fire that once coursed through her veins. It made her hunger for more, so she closed the centimeters between them and brushed her lips lightly on his. In that briefest moment of contact Azula felt like her old self again. Confident, in control and powerful. But she also felt other things completely foreign to her. Kissing Chang on Ember Island had been nothing like that. She felt like she'd eaten a bucket of winged insects. It was a surprisingly uplifting feeling.

Sokka lowered his boomerang and slightly stepped away touched his lips with the tips of his fingers, a puzzled look overtaking his features. He started pacing across the hallway murmuring things she couldn't understand. After several minutes of incomprehensible nonsense he collapsed on his knees facing Azula.

"Katara is going to kill me." He buried his face in his hands. A small giggle escaped her lips in response. He peered at her in between her fingers.

"Did you just _giggle_?" He asked. She crossed her arms protectively at his remark and did her best to look annoyed.

"I did no such thing; your idiotic comments do not amuse me."

"Right." He sat with his back pressed to the wall next to her cell facing the corridor but never looking away from her eyes. She could see him smirking and it angered her but in a way that made her want to scorch his feet and kiss him again, not that she would ever admit that. Azula sat next to him the bars separating them her knees held close to her chest her palms placed on the floor.

"I'm sorry." Sokka said. She stared back at him her face feeling heavy.

"I should be the one saying that" She said back.

"I guess we're just stuck in this cycle then." He smiled a goofy smile at her and his pinky finger reaching for hers through the bars.

"I suppose so." Her own finger lightly brushed his in silent understanding.

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><p><strong>AN: I feel like Sokka and Azula would just sort of fall into each other in this weird way like no explanations or logic they just do. Also I think it got kinda too fluffy at the end but oh well Azula needs some love man. **


	9. Chapter 9

Sokka whistled a happy tune as he weaved his way through the market place stopping every now and then to make a purchase. So far he had bought a new knife, some groceries and a pair of drums from a merchant from the Northern Water Tribe. He'd been thinking that he could practice a bit and try to convince Azula to dance again with some musical accompaniment. She had seemed so at peace and in control when she danced last time, as if she'd been liberated from her cell and the pain she bears on her shoulders.

At her memory he brought his fingers up to lightly touch his mouth. A slight electrical shock still stung his lips. Azula's very essence seemed to emanate fire and energy even after losing her bending and being in such a fragile state. The thought of her in her cell all alone at that moment soured his mood. He felt angry at how she's been treated and guilty for leaving her there. Sokka made a mental note to dig out his sleeping bag to keep her company in those lonely hours. Spirits know what she's been doing to herself when he's not around. He looked up at the shining full moon as he walked through the alleys feeling guilty once again.

"Yue I know you probably have a lot of moon spirit duties but could you please watch over Azula? She doesn't deserve to hurt anymore." Tears threatened to overflow but he fought them back. "I won't fail this time Yue, I won't let go of her."

Determination overflew him as he continued his way home. He admired Azula for being so strong and making it this far and more than anything he wanted to help her get better. And he couldn't deny this bond that was growing between them. It was silent but strong, a simple understanding of each other and their strengths and weaknesses. They simply clicked in a way he had never experienced before, and that was something he refused to give up without a fight.

When he finally got home he found an unexpected visitor sipping tea in the kitchen with Katara and Aang.

"Dad!" He rushed over to his father, not caring that he considered himself a grown man, and hugged him tightly. It had been a while since they had seen each other and the fear of him leaving at any given moment due to the war still hadn't disappeared.

"Good to see you Sokka." Hakoda hugged his son back with equal energy, visibly pleased to see his son again.

"So now that Sokka is here can you please tell us what the deal with you two is?" Katara asked eyeing Aang and her father suspiciously.

"Well you see um, this isn't an easy thing to say." Aang started

"Son you should take a seat." An alarm went off in Sokka's head. Las time he'd heard his father like that was when he told him about his mother.

"Whats wrong?" Worry soaked his voice as he slowly sat down at the table.

"Well you see it's about Azula." Aang said carefully.

A slight relief washed over Sokka. "I've been meaning to talk to you Zuko about that. I don't think keeping her locked up is the best idea. Maybe we can let her out once in a while, integrate her into society. And um."' He looked over to his sister nervously avoiding her eyes at all costs. "Toph's going to leave pretty soon to start her metalbending school and with an extra room we thought that maybe we-"

"Sokka." Aang's stern tone caught everyone's attention. Sokka could really see how much he's grown up, how he's been forced to act and deal with adults at the ripe age of 12. He respected him so much for that.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to do that." His voice was very firm but Sokka could see how hard this was for him, those baby eyes looked anguished, in too much pain for them to belong to a kid.

"King Kuei has decided Azula's punishment son."

"What do you mean? I thought this was her punishment." His voice was serious and calm, but it had a slight edge to it, as if waiting to lash out.

"The Earth King felt that wasn't enough. He sentenced her to execution."

The last word echoed inside his head almost as if it was making fun of him. His whole system seemed to have shut down for a second and geared back on at triple the force and speed. The chair he had been sitting on toppled over as he stood and slammed his fists on the table, knuckles turning white. Failure has consistently followed him everywhere and this time it would cost someone their life. Zuko had trusted him to help his sister, to protect her from herself. But most of all he'd failed her. She opened up to him and that was a promise in itself and now all of that, all of her would be gone.

"How could you let this happen?" He directed his eyes to the Avatar and then his father. His voice grew louder. "How can you let Kuei kill her. She's just a kid." He practically shouted the last words not really looking at anyone. "She's a fourteen year old girl like _your_ daughter and_ your_ girlfriend."

"Don't compare me to that-that monster." Katara who had been quiet until that moment stood to stare her brother in the eyes. "I can't believe you, how you've fallen into her trap. She's just using you, that's all she does. Can't you remember how she almost tried to kill us? And now you're all day with her and come home with this stupid smile on your face almost as if"

"As if what?" Sokka interrupted her, desperation in his voice.

"As if you love her or something!" It was absurd how shocked he was. It had been painfully obvious to his sister, yet he didn't even notice it happening. He knew he had grown to care for Azula but he never even considered the idea of love. In the past his heart had jumped headfirst into relationships and he always got hurt in some way, so he had since been cautions with his heart.

"Katara I think you need to calm down." Aang said.

"Don't tell me to calm down! How can you not see it Aang?" Katara replied.

"I do see it." All heads turned to the young Avatar who had a very serious expression on his face. "I've noticed how Sokka has been acting different, goofy even coming home and humming or whistling happy tunes. He smiles brighter and frowns deeper. And as his friends, as his family we have to let him be happy with whoever he wants to." He turned to face Sokka. "You know I don't approve of the Earth King's decision, but there really isn't much I can do to help you or her right now."

"But Aang there must be something you can do, maybe you and Zuko can convince Kuei or -"

"You didn't let me finish. Zuko and I might have our hands attached by diplomacy, but if a hooded vigilante were to break out a young girl from prison who was condemned to death we could conveniently look the other way."

Sokka hadn't smiled that wide in a very long time. He scrambled around the table to hug his friend a joyful tear escaping his eye. "Thanks bud, I promise you won't regret this."

"If there's anyone I trust with Azula it's you, and I'm sure Zuko will too."

"Well I guess I better get ready and stuff. Busting out a former prison from jail is no easy task." He was perplexed as to how he was to accomplish that but surely he would figure it out.

Hakoda stepped towards his son placing both of his hands on Sokka's shoulders. "You've grown into a great man Sokka, I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks dad, I'm proud to be your son." Hakoda let go of his son and Sokka turned to his sister who refused to meet his stare. Aang poked her with his elbow but she only began to pick up the dishes on the table.

"I guess I'll be going then." He walked towards one of the closets and grabbed his bags. He was unsure of what would happen next so he took anything that might seem useful.

"Well um I suppose this is goodbye then." Sokka scratched the back of his head and stared at the floor. He didn't know when he would see his friends again and the enormity of what he was about to take on was dawning on him.

"Don't worry Sokka, we'll meet again." Aang said with a huge goofy grin. It was nice to see him act like the 12 year old he is.

"Of course, you can't miss Aang and Katara's wedding." Hadoka said chuckling.

"Wh-wh-what! Wedding!" Aang became flustered and red in embarrassment. "Sir I love your daughter a lot but don't you think we're still a little young for that?"

"I'm just kidding Aang. But I must say I look forward to you becoming my son in law." Hadoka said sitting down to finish his tea before Katara cleared out his cup.

Sokka snickered under his breath. "l'll be looking forward to it." He waved at his family before closing the front door behind him. He was already starting down the road when someone calling his name made him turn around. Katara was running towards him. He became slightly worried as she got closer and refused to slow down. He was bracing himself for a water whip or a good old fashion slap across the face. In less than a second he found himself tackled on the ground and his sister hugging him fiercely as if she let go he would disappear forever. Sobs shook her body and tears stained her face.

"I'm sorry Sokka." She managed to get out between sobs. "I do want you to be happy and if that includes Azula I'm just going to have to deal with it. I still don't trust her, but I trust you."

"Thanks a lot Katara. That means a lot to me." He hugged his little sister back and stared at the moon in the sky. He silently thanked Yue for all these special people in his life.

"I'm gonna miss you." She said as she started to get up.

"Like Aang said we'll see each other again, no worries." He took Katara's outstretched hand and got up too. "Besides I wouldn't miss being the best man at your wedding for anything."

Katara blushed furiously and looked to the ground causing Sokka to laugh. He grabbed his things and turned around to start his journey.

"Remember to write!" Katara yelled. "And to visit Toph, she's gonna kill you for not saying goodbye!"

"Yes mother" He called back as he waved his hand.

He was scarred, terrified of what would happen if something went wrong. Things would surely change now, that was certain, but nothing could make him back down.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm terribly sorry for the long wait but I had so many different ideas for how this chapter to go so it took me a while to decide what felt right. Anyway this is the last chapter, the next being the epilogue. Wow it sure has been a long run but I'll get all gushy and emotional next time so enjoy! Review! Favorite! Subscribe for the conclusion! Tell your friends! **

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><p>"Azula, Azula, AZULA!" someone shouting her name and banging on the cell bars roused her from her unusual peaceful slumber. She would have snapped at them if she wasn't so exhausted. Sleeping wasn't something she did much of anymore because the nightmares and constant visits from her mother in her mind kept her up, not that that helped her avoid them. Turning her head to face the voice she opened her eyes lazily seeing a hooded figure from outside her cell. For a moment she thought that death had finally come to claim her until her visitor spoke again.<p>

"Ugh there are too many keys, I really wish I could metalbend like Toph right now."

"Sokka?" Azula asked sitting up on the bed. The tribesman looked up at her with a small smile still fumbling with the key ring. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing, I'm rescuing you. By any chance do you know which key it is? I suppose not," he replied concentrated on trying every key on the lock.

"I'm very well aware of that, I'm not an idiot. But why? Have you lost your mind or did my seduction techniques," she said jokingly "compel you to free the murderous nutcase?" the last words came out bitter and strained.

"Look Azula, I'm pretty sure you know that I don't think of you like that but we're under some serious time constraints right now so could you like hold that thought until after we're fleeing the nation?"

The slight panic in his voice was almost imperceptible but it did not go unnoticed by her. She could not understand his motive for freeing her. Had he actually lost his mind? Maybe it brought his some sick satisfaction of being a hero to the suffering. Or he wanted to run away with her into the sunset. Very unlikely. Whatever his motive was freedom was at her fingertips and it made her uncertain. Going back to a world that wanted nothing to do with her, a world that no longer has a place for her was unsettling. What was she to do, become some sort of merchant, a peasant? She had finally become accustomed to her cell, readjusting to life outside would just be bothersome and inconvenient.

"Cut the hero act Sokka, I'm not going anywhere," she said hugging her knees to her chest looking at him intently.

"Yes you are. Once I find the stupid key. How many cells are there here it's insane." He didn't bother to look at her and it made her angry, not being listened to.

"I said I'm not leaving, there's nothing left for me out there. So stop fiddling with those noisy things and get out of here."

He didn't say anything at all this time still trying the endless string of keys.

Azula had had enough of his nonsense, waking her up and causing a ruckus. "Didn't you hear me?" she got up from her bed to face him. "Get out of here!" she shouted knocking the keys out of his hands. They feel to the floor with an echoing clatter.

"Damn it Azula!" his eyes were a mix of anger and fear. It made her pause for a second. "The guards probably heard that. Here stand back, I'll try to pry it open with my boomerang. If I hit it at the right angry I might be able to-"

"Would you stop for a second and listen to me! I'm not going and unless you have a convincing reason as to why I should flee the nation as you said you should leave." She was inches from him, hands grabbing tightly onto the bars.

He took a few steps back from her and raised his boomerang over his head. For a split second she thought he was going to hit her with it until she heard a loud metallic next to her.

"Because." CLANG.

"They're going to." CLANG.

"KILL YOU." CLANG.

With the last hit the gate swung open and Sokka was already in the cell with her his hands grabbing her arms at her side holding her closely.

"And there's no way I'm letting anyone do that." He started at her intently with his piercing blue eyes. "Now let's get out of here," he said tugging her forward by the hand. She let herself be led for a few steps but then froze.

"I- I can't."

"Why can't you? Why can't you let me help you, I can fix you if you would just give me the chance."

She looked at him with venom in her eyes ripping her hand out of his. "Fix? Fix? I'm not some machine that you can redesign so it'll work better Sokka. I'm a monster and no one can help me, no one can fix me as you so eloquently put. And maybe," she stepped back in front of him closely, "I just don't want to be fixed."

A smug smile crept on his lips and it infuriated her. She was ready to slap him across the face when his lips crashed down on hers. Strong warm arms wrapped around her waist holding her close as she gave into him. The kiss was short and passionate and it made her head spin and insides flutter.

He pulled away, a wider smile on his lips. "I knew that would snap you out of it. There's nothing I can do to make you better than you already are. Now," he reached into the bag hanging from his back and took out a cloak identical to his and handed it to her, "let's get out of here."

Azula briefly fought back a small grin but failed as she pulled the hood of the cloak over her head. Sokka grabbed her hand and lead her out to the corridor. She hesitated for a moment looking back into her now empty cell. In that brief second she saw a flash of her mother's face smiling back at her from the cracked mirror. She didn't have enough time to react because Sokka broke into a jog and she was dragged down the hallway. It was a longer stretch than she had remembered, not that she was completely aware of her surroundings when they brought her in.

They came to a stop and Sokka signaled her to be quiet before he peered through the corner. His hand squeezed hers tightly as he came to face her and pull her in the other direction.

"The guard's not there so I'm guessing he's patrolling the gates. We're going to have to find another exit."

"Or we could fight our way out," Azula suggested looking over Sokka's shoulder.

"Just the two of us against what, a troop of fire nation soldiers? I'd rather not get burnt thanks."

"We don't have to fight physically. With the both of us strategizing a diversion and escape there's no possible way we could fail." Sokka was one of her biggest concerns in her conquest for power. She could overpower almost everyone with her bending but his strategic skills were quite impressive and not something her enemies usually possessed.

Sokka looked dubious for a moment before accepting that it was most likely their best chance out of there. "We don't seem to have much of a choice. So what should we do? Maybe we could break up and-"

Her hand involuntarily tightened around his at the mention of being separated. Sokka seemed to notice this and pulled her into a quick hug. "Don't worry; I'm not leaving you behind." He let her go and reached for his bag fumbling through its contents. Finally his hand emerged with a small firework. Azula looked at him in disbelief to which he just shrugged and said that he liked to be prepared for any occasion.

"I'll light this up and throw it into one of these cells then I'll wait in front of the one we left open and I'll call the guard over. That should give you enough time to get away safely. There's a small pub not too far from here 'The Badgermole', we'll meet up there."

The plan was brash and filled with flaws but it was all they had on such short notice, and she has seen his crazy plans succeed in the past. She was still worried of course; they didn't just pick any solders to guard the notorious fire nation princess. These were cold blooded killers "reformed" after her father's fall. Once they suspected him of something he would be a dead man. And the thought of going back to the outside world terrified world. To go into society and live as a commoner was something she would never in her life expected to do. But she didn't have much of a choice as Sokka slung his bag over his shoulder and started to turn around. Panic surged through her veins and she launched herself at him hands grabbing his face and forcefully kissing him. He resisted for half a second before giving in to her.

"I'll meet you out there, promise," he whispered as he touched his forehead to hers. She nodded at him before letting go and walking in the other direction to hide in the shadows.

After a few minutes of hiding in the shadows she saw a flash of light accompanied by a loud bang and the smell of gunpowder. In a matter of seconds not one but three guards raced down the hall towards where Sokka was. Perhaps he had overdone it because there was a strong burning smell tickling her nose. This was her chance to get out of there, but something glued her to the spot. It was confusing and frustrating; normally she wouldn't waste a single moment thinking about someone else, not caring about leaving them behind. A couple of months ago she would be halfway out of Ba Sing Se by now, but the thought of bearing it alone out there, bearing it without him was too painful.

She had hesitated enough she decided, after all this was the plan they had agreed on. Down the corridor she ran as silently as she could, seeing the exit at a distance. There were no guards outside, which would explain why she saw three rush past before. Figures Sokka would know that and make a bigger ruckus to attract all of them.

Freedom was so incredibly close she could taste it. It teased her as she hovered around the entrance her guilt still holding her back. Her constant faltering was going to get her caught and quite possibly killed at this rate and Sokka would go down with her. All of her fears doubled as she heard the sound of footsteps and arguing voices approaching behind her.

Without another second to spare she dashed outside. The outer court was barren except for some bushes at the wall near the large gate that led to the city. The guards would surely come out there with Sokka in tow. Suddenly she realized they would surely give him a beating. This might be an Earth Kingdom prison but her brother had insisted on Fire Nation soldiers in a sad attempt to make her feel more at home. Even after the war these soldiers were ruthless and violent, it was how everyone in the Fire Nation was raised and the tensions were still high so having a chance to vent out their frustrations on a water tribesman was too tempting to let go.

She ducked farther into the bushes as the guards came out dragging Sokka by his arms. He was feebly trying to fight them off which she found odd. She hadn't seen him the day of the eclipse as he led the invasion troops but she heard of how he took down soldier after soldier with great agility, surely a couple of not so armed guards wouldn't be much of a problem for him.

One of them grabbed him by the arms holding him still while the other two took turns hitting him in his stomach, his face even a couple of shots to his groin. Azula had to choke back a shriek when she saw a trail of blood run down his lip after a solid punch to his jaw. He wasn't making much noise and then it hit her that he was stalling to give her enough time to get away. She was well hidden so he shouldn't know that she was still in the courtyard. She had hesitated and now he's going to pay the price for it, especially when the guards find here still there.

She leaned to rest her back against the stone wall when she felt something poke her butt. It was a rusty, sharp steel pipe. Almost on pure instinct she grabbed it and lunged out towards the clearing. She was quite skilled in hand to hand combat but weapons weren't exactly her forte, especially not long sword or spear like ones. But she had seen Sokka wield his during the eclipse so she had an idea of how to wield it and she was very perceptive.

Without giving herself a chance to hesitate again she grasped the pole with both hands and lunged forward. Not giving the guards a chance to notice her presence she hit the first one forcefully behind his head eliciting a groan and a furious look in her direction.

"Azula, get outta here!" Sokka shouted, now kicking and squirming around trying to get out of the guard's grasp.

"I'm not leaving without you!" she shouted back shoving the end of the pole into the second soldier's stomach. As he doubled over the guard holding Sokka loosened his grip a bit giving the tribesman a chance to break free and draw his boomerang.

"I was going to meet up with you later! Why don't you ever listen?" Sokka grunted out while fighting the guard that had sheathed a knife.

"It looked like you needed some help," Azula replied turning around to face the first guard now heading towards her. She scanned her brain for those chi blocking lessons Ty Lee had given her some years ago. Her bubbly friend had made it look so easy, so effortless that Azula had practiced multiple times in her room to master the technique perfectly. Once the soldier was close enough her body shifted into auto pilot hitting the necessary pressure points and was rendered useless, his arms limping to his sides almost comically.

To her left she could see Sokka still dealing with his guard so she turned to face the guard behind her who was getting up from the ground. Deciding to use the same technique again she let him come to her only shifting to cover Sokka's back. When he came into range she noticed he had a knife too but she noticed too late only having enough time to dodge it. So accustomed to having her own back and not covering anyone else she didn't notice that the knife gashed Sokka's arm until she had incapacitated the guard.

She whipped around to find him clutching his left arm with his other hand, waving his boomerang around with his hurt arm. The injury didn't seem to hinder his movement much but she could see the pain in his face from the corner of her eyes. The steel pipe was too far from her now but she noticed his sword sheathed on a belt around him. In a single movement she pulled it out and knocked the soldier's knife out of his hand giving Sokka enough chance to zonk him in the head hard enough to knock him out cold.

"Thanks for that," he said struggling to put his boomerang back into his bag. She took it from his hands and used it to tear a strip of her shirt that she used to wrap his injury. She did the best she could but it was lose and twisted in all the wrong ways. He chuckled and reached his good hand for the makeshift bandage.

"Here, let me help." He then proceeded to expertly tie the cloth firmly around the gash with one hand. Azula felt a bit useless and a quite guilty about it.

"I have never understood how commoners do things like that on their own," she said still observing the bandaging with intense curiosity.

"Maybe I could show you sometime," Sokka said with a small smile. Azula tried to ignore the effect his smile had on her.

"Let's get outta here," she said reaching for his good hand and starting to walk towards the front gate. They were about to cross through it when another guard, a woman, appeared from around the corner right in front of them. Azula kept her grasp firm around his and bent her knees slightly preparing for another fight, but the guard looked at her with what seemed like relief.

Sokka had his boomerang already in his hand ready for battle. "We'll put up a fight," he warned but the soldier raised her hands slightly trying to appease him.

"I mean no harm," she said taking a step backwards. She then directed her gaze at Azula and bowed much like everyone used to before her fall. "Princess it is a relief to see you full of life once again."

Azula was confused and the guard seemed to notice this because she continued talking. "I'm the commander of this facility overseeing your imprisonment. I was also one of the guards that watched over your uncle when he was imprisoned. I asked for this assignment especially to make sure they wouldn't treat you too harshly."

"Some help you were, we got beaten by your subordinates just a while ago!" Sokka exclaimed, clearly still resentful about earlier.

"_You_ are not the princess, I am here to insure_ her_ safety," the commander replied sharply, staring daggers at him.

Sokka opened his mouth to snap back but Azula interfered. "Why are you so concerned with my well-being? I'm sure it's considered a traitorous act now."

The commander pulled her gaze back to Azula. "You're still a princess, both in blood and in the eyes of your nation. You've also been misguided and been given burdens much too great for such a young person. I only wish to serve and protect you to my fullest extent."

"Then I guess you know about the Earth King's verdict?" Sokka asked.

"Yes, I have been informed," she replied sadly.

"You said you're going to protect Azula to the best of your abilities, right?"

"Also correct tribesman." Her tone became more respectful, as if she noticed that he genuinely cared about Azula.

"So I suppose you have to help us escape for her to avoid her fate?" Azula felt him pull her slightly closer.

"It is only just."

"Then you have done your princess a great service," Azula said with the regality of a true princess.

The officer then stepped out of their way letting them pass through the gate to the outside. Once outside Azula turned around letting go of Sokka to face the woman.

"I thank you Commander for your kindness. I hope my escape doesn't bring you much trouble."

"It's only what's right Princess, it has been an honor serving you," the commander said with another low bow. Azula gave her a slight not and turned to walk away. As she took Sokka's hand again she heard the commanders' voice again.

"You're a lot like your uncle, you share the same strength. Not everyone would have survived alone in a cell when their nation turned their back on them."

"I wasn't alone," she looked at Sokka and thought of her mother. "And I see that neither was he," she said glancing back at her.

A smile spread on the woman's' lips. "He talked about you often, he really cared about you."

Azula turned her gaze forward again starting to walk away. With a deep breath she left behind the prison she had been in and said loud enough for the woman behind them to hear "I know."


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: **After a million years here it is! I would tell you guys a bunch of excuses and reasons as to why this took so long but it would just be boring so without further ado the probably not so thrilling conclusion to Mending the Demented.

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><p>Toph shuffled around the cabinets searching for clean dishes to serve the breakfast she bought from the vendor down the hill. She would have woken Snoozles but his nightly activities seemed to have extended into the morning hours. His canoodling with the Fire Nation Princess had driven her to climb up onto the sofa in her room just to be able to rest peacefully. They seemed to have forgotten she was blind, not deaf, because of all the banging and moaning they were making. And to think, in the presence of such a young girl! It was tempting to tell Katara so she would berate her brother for exposing such an innocent girl to such lewd behaviors. But it was far more fun to hold it over his head and watch him sweat it out for a while. Her parents would certainly be appalled. She smirked slightly at the thought while she continued to rummage through the small kitchen not bothering to be very quiet. Apparently she was making more noise than she thought because the guest room had become quiet, followed by a pair of light footsteps that couldn't possibly belong to Sokka. The earthbender knew that walk well, sharp but light, the way ladies of status were thought to carry themselves.<p>

Toph instinctively lowered to her fighting chance before sensing a clumsy and familiar pair of feet strolling towards her direction. She instantly relaxed as Sokka's joyous tone greeted her.

"Toph! What a great morning this is," he was next to her using her head as an elbow rest, something that she secretly enjoyed but she shoved his arm off in visible annoyance. "So what's for breakfast?" he asked. She elbowed him in the stomach but as he recoiled in pain she could hear the faintest chuckle from behind them.

"I bought some noodles and bread and since I'm letting you crash here with a fugitive I might add, it's your job to set the table and serve it."

She settled herself on the floor putting her feet on the table, leaning against a stone column. Azula was lingering around the table shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Perhaps I should-" she started, her voice strained, taking a few steps towards the counter before Sokka interrupted her.

"Nope, I'm serving breakfast to my two favorite girls, so take a seat." She obliged after a second of hesitation and took a seat in front of Toph. "By the way don't tell Katara I said that," he added before heading back to the small kitchen.

Toph took to studying the girl in front of her, lowering her feet to the ground. She seemed calm and collected, no flinching or jittering around, but the young earthbender could feel the irregularity of her heartbeats. She was also trying to keep her breathing in check, to calm it down. This only confirmed her guests' nocturnal activities. Still, this Azula was very different from the one they faced during the eclipse. Before she had no way of knowing if the princess was lying or not but she suspected that things might be different now.

"So Princess, you seem pretty tired this morning. Get a good night sleep?" she asked while playing with her meteor bracelet. Azula shifted ever so slightly in her seat, re affirming her uneasiness to Toph.

After quickly recovering from the initial shock she replied. "It's a bit difficult to sleep at all when you've spent the last few months rotting in a cell. But despite your stony accommodations I did sleep well enough. Thank you for your concern."

She still had some fire in her for sure Toph thought. But under the passive aggressive jabs at her house there seemed to be some earnest gratefulness.

"Good to know." Sokka came in balancing three bowls of noodles and tea cups on a very small tray. He set down their breakfast and urged everyone to dig in before sitting down and scarfing down the food himself, noisy as ever.

"So exactly how long do you guys plan on crashing here? I mean I'm all for breaking rules but I don't think harboring two fugitives from the Earth Kingdom is going to help my metal bending school any."

"Don't sweat it, we'll be out of your hare today. We need to keep moving for a while before settling down anywhere. Besides guards are sure to come here soon enough looking for us." Sokka always had a plan Toph knew. She just hoped that he was sure about what exactly he was doing. But convincing Sokka out of something was near impossible so she would have to trust him.

"Well good," Toph said still slurping her noodles. The rest of breakfast was unusually quiet, mostly filled with slurps, shifting bodies and uncomfortable gazes that even Toph could feel. Finally Azula broke the silence by standing up and offering to clean up the table. Sokka protested but she insisted. "I have to learn to clean up after myself now, so please let me."

"I'll help ya out Princess," Toph said picking up a couple of tea cups and following her into the kitchen. There she found Azula standing in front of the sink with the water running but not moving at all.

"Got a problem there?" the blind girl inquired.

"No, I'm just trying to find the right strategy for dish washing is all," was her serious response. Every word that came out of her mouth from the moment Sokka showed up on her doorstep seemed completely preposterous and yet there she was, not even trying to kill her.

Toph crossed her arms and used her foot to shift Azula's leg so that they were now facing each other. "Ok, we're alone now so you can tell me. What's your game? Sokka may be an idiot but he's not stupid enough to let you out of your cage, at least not without good reason."

"Look Toph. I know we have had our differences in the past and no doubt we will have them in the future but I assure you I have nothing wicked or evil up my sleeve. I have done a serious amount of self-examination, some of which Sokka helped me through. So please keep your threats to yourself." At those words she turned away and began to clink things around in the sink.

Her heartbeat was irregular, which should have meant that she was lying, but it wasn't that kind of irregular. Toph knew very well that pattern because Sokka had produced them in her before. In that moment she was sure that Azula was being completely honest. In the back of her mind worry still screamed at her saying this was probably a bad idea but Toph had to believe what was in front of her. Besides, it would do Sokka some good to spend time with the Princess, maybe he'll be less of an idiot.

"For some strange reason I'm going to trust you. But let me make things clear. If you hurt him in any way I will hunt you down and won't hesitate to kill you. Got that?" Toph threatened.

"If I wanted to die," Azula started, heading out of the kitchen, "I would have stayed in prison."

Toph couldn't help but smirk. Despite having once tried to kill them Toph had to admit that she kinda liked Azula, she had spunk and a no nonsense attitude. Perhaps she could get used to her, maybe even like her someday. She headed out after Azula and found her and Sokka gathering their things.

"So where do you plan on heading?" asked the small earthbender.

"Not sure yet, and we probably shouldn't tell you either. You know, as a precaution," Sokka said swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"We'll contact you once we find a safe spot," was all Azula said before exiting the house. Sokka and Toph looked at her direction in slight shock.

"Well that's different," Sokka murmured before turning towards Toph.

"I guess this is goodbye. For a while anyway," he said ruffling the girls' dark hair.

"I guess it is." She punched him on the shoulder affectionately before continuing. "Take care of her, she's starting to grow on me," Toph said looking away.

"Oh really?" She could hear the annoying grin on his face; it made her want to punch him again. She did.

"Shut up and get outta here. You don't wanna get caught do you?" He chuckled softly before following Azula out the door. Toph felt their footsteps as they walked away their rhythms and motions completely in synch. She was happy for Sokka, the idiot deserved to be and the fact that a crazy, ex-firebending princess could bring it to him made a weird amount of sense. She took a mental note to annoy them into naming their first born child after her as she finally felt their heartbeats disappear.

-End-

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><p><strong>AN: **I'd really like to thank everyone who's read, reviewed and supported me in the writing of this fic. It has been an invaluable learning experience that has helped me a lot actually. I also couldn't help but throw in a bit of Tokka in there. I really don't know what else to say except thank you so much and I hope some of you read some of my next fic, if I actually get around to writing any.


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